[ IRONMAN TRIATHLON ]
WEST HAWAII TODAY
The Ironman Triathlon opened with a 2.4-mile swim. Tim DeBoom won the race, which also included a bike ride and run.
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii >> Tim DeBoom, ninth after the second leg, rallied in the marathon to repeat as champion of Ironman Triathlon World Championship yesterday, while Natascha Badmann won her third straight women's title Defending champ
lowers ‘DeBoom’
Associated Press
DeBoom, 31, of Lyons, Colo., completed the 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and 26.2-mile marathon in 8 hours, 29 minutes and 56 seconds.
His time this year was about 2 1/2 minutes faster than his winning time last year.
"It's hot out here, just awful," said DeBoom of the humidity the athletes had to contend with during the run.
Peter Reid of Canada, the 2000 winner, was second in 8:33:06 and was followed by Cameron Brown of New Zealand, 8:35:34 and 1997 winner Thomas Hellriegel of Germany, 8:36:59.
DeBoom was in ninth place at the end of the bicycle ride, while Reid was 10th and Brown was eighth. DeBoom had moved into second place behind Hellriegel at the halfway mark of the run.
Jurgen Zack of Germany was in the lead at the end of the bicycle ride but dropped out during the marathon because of stomach cramps, race officials said.
Newcomer Chris McCormack of Australia, who was a close third at the end of the bike ride, also dropped out during the run.
Badmann, of Switzerland, won in 9:07:54, her best time in the competition. Nina Kraft of Germany was second in 9:14:24, and 1999 winner Lori Bowden of Canada was third in 9:22:27.
The race started under heavily overcast skies and light rain. Light breezes and a lack of sunshine kept humidity low during much of the bicycle ride, but humidity went up when the afternoon sun broke through.
A total of 1,541 athletes from 49 states and 49 countries started the race, which caps the series of Ironman and half-Ironman qualifying races held throughout the world.
Most of the sport's top professionals were vying for $430,000 in prize money. The first male and female each got $100,000.
The course record of 8:04:08 was set in 1996 by Luc Van Lierde of Belgium, who withdrew from this year's race a week ago. Paula Newby-Fraser of Encinitas, Calif., established the women's record of 8:55:28 in 1992.
